Wireless transceiver within an electrical receptacle system

ABSTRACT

An electrical receptacle assembly having a housing that includes a wireless transceiver electrically coupled to one or more antennas that can be integrated into the receptacle housing itself or in the receptacle&#39;s faceplate. The one or more antennas can be one or more dipoles or a single loop antenna. The housing also houses a power converter that derives its power directly from the line connection to the outlet. A junction box includes an integrated antenna reflector for improved radio direction and propagation relative to the antenna(s). Or, an antenna reflector insert is placed within the junction box behind the electrical receptacle assembly. The electrical receptacle assembly further includes a temperature sensor, a PLC module, or a current/voltage sensor and communicates associated data via its wireless transceiver. A status indicator is disposed on the front of the housing. A reset switch on housing resets the electronics to a default state.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/277,795, filed Nov. 25, 2008, entitled “Wireless Transceiver withinan Electrical Receptacle System”, now allowed, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Aspects disclosed herein relate generally to electrical receptacles,and, more particularly, to a wireless transceiver integrated into anelectrical receptacle or a receptacle face plate.

BACKGROUND

Installation of radio repeaters in large, open areas is a time-consumingprocess that requires separate power connections to power each radio.When batteries are not an option, unsightly power cords to power eachradio must be plugged into an electrical outlet and run to the radio. Itcan be preferable to install the radios in locations where they are asvisually unobtrusive as possible, relegating the radios to hallways,corridors, or ceilings where their radio transmission is less effective.These radios are also susceptible to tampering, particularly wheninstalled in public areas, and theft.

What is needed, therefore, is a wireless transceiver that is integratedwithin an electrical receptacle assembly. The present disclosure isdirected to addressing these and other needs.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The proposed electrical receptacle system incorporates a wirelesstransceiver and an antenna into a standard electrical receptacle orfaceplate. Installation times are dramatically reduced because aseparate power connection is not required to be installed to power thetransceiver electronics. Existing electrical receptacles, faceplates, orjunction boxes can be quickly retrofitted or replaced with the newelectrical receptacle system disclosed herein. A better radio networklayout with improved coverage can be achieved because there are fewerrestrictions on where the electrical receptacle systems can be placed.Electrical receptacles are visually acceptable in open, visible areas.Network reliability is increased because the proposed electricalreceptacle system eliminates the possibility of tampering with orunplugging the radio components. Placement of an integrated antenna inthe receptacle housing or faceplate can be leveraged with the dimensionsof junction boxes to better direct and amplify the wireless signals.Electrical design can be simplified or isolation requirements can bemore easily met if there is no way for the user to contact any part ofthe circuit powering the wireless components.

The foregoing and additional aspects of the present invention will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detaileddescription of various embodiments, which is made with reference to thedrawings, a brief description of which is provided next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparentupon reading the following detailed description and upon reference tothe drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a wall-mounted electricalreceptacle assembly according to aspects disclosed herein;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the electrical receptacle assemblyshown in FIG. 1 having dipole antennas integrated into the housing;

FIG. 2B illustrates an electrical receptacle assembly together with afaceplate into which the one or more dipole antennas are integrated;

FIG. 2C illustrates the faceplate with a loop antenna instead of thetwin dipole antennas as shown in FIG. 2B;

FIG. 3A is a top of a junction box having an integrated antennareflector that is bent at an angle;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the junction box shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a side view of a junction box having an integrated curvedantenna reflector;

FIG. 3D is a side view of the junction box shown in FIG. 3C;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a junction box into which an antennareflector insert has been inserted;

FIG. 4B is a top view of a junction box having an antenna reflectorinsert that is bent at an angle;

FIG. 4C is a side view of the junction box shown in FIG. 4B;

FIG. 4D is a top view of a junction box having a curved antennareflector insert; and

FIG. 4E is a side view of the junction box shown in FIG. 4D.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. Itshould be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of a wall-mountedelectrical receptacle assembly 100 is shown. By “wall-mounted,” it ismeant to refer to electrical receptacles that are mounted flush againsta surface, such as a wall, a ceiling, a floor, or a post. Suchelectrical receptacles are typically surrounded by a faceplate 140 (seeFIG. 2B) and are mounted to a junction box positioned behind the wall,ceiling, floor, or post so that the faceplate 140 is flush against thesurface of the wall, ceiling, floor, or post. The electrical receptacleassembly 100 includes a housing 102 that houses a number of electroniccomponents. A line power input 106 carries line power from theelectrical wiring to the electrical receptacle assembly 100 and isreceived in the housing 102 thereof. A line power output 108 carries theline power to an electrical socket or outlet that conventionallyreceives an external power plug. It should be noted that the electricalreceptacle assembly 100 can and typically does include more than oneelectrical socket 104, such as two sockets 104 a,b shown in FIG. 2A.

The housing 102 also includes a power converter 110 and a printedcircuit board assembly 112, which includes a microcontroller 114, amemory 116, and a wireless transceiver 118. It should be noted that thememory 116 can be integrated into the microcontroller 114 or can beseparate from it. The printed circuit board assembly 112 is electricallycoupled to one or more antennas 120, an optional status indicator 122,shown as a light emitting diode (LED), an optional reset switch 124, anoptional temperature sensor 126, an optional current/voltage sensor 128,an optional switch 130 for connecting and disconnecting power to theelectrical socket 104, and an optional PLC module 132. The powerconverter 110 derives a direct current voltage power supply from theline power input 106 and powers the electronic components of theelectrical receptacle assembly 100, including the components on theprinted circuit board assembly 112, the status indicator 122, thetemperature sensor 126, the current/voltage sensor 128, and the PLCmodule 132.

The components that are shown partially in and partially outside of thehousing 102, such as the one or more antennas 120, the status indicator122, the reset switch 124, and the temperature sensor 126, can bedisposed within the housing, integrated into the housing, or disposedoutside of the housing and electrically coupled to the printed circuitboard assembly 112 via one or more wires.

The wireless transceiver 118, under control of the microcontroller 114,receives and transmits data via the one or more antennas 120 that isformatted according to a wireless communication protocol defined by theIEEE 802.15.4 standard that is operable between 868 MHz and 2.4 GHz. TheIEEE 802.15.4 standard is the foundation for many wireless technologiessuch as ZigBee, which is a low-power, wireless mesh networking standard.A suitable ZigBee-enabled chipset is commercially available from EmberCorporation and other members of the ZigBee Alliance. In otherimplementations, other wireless protocols can be used, including thosedefined by any of the IEEE 802.15 or 802.11 wireless mesh networkingstandards. The wireless transceiver 118 and the one or more antennas 120can operate as a repeater, which receives wireless data and retransmitsit at a higher power, or as a wireless access device, a wireless bridge,or other wireless device.

The one or more antennas 120 are optional and can be positioned in avariety of locations as discussed in connection with FIGS. 2A-2C below.The status indicator 122 is controlled by the microcontroller 114 andcan be placed in a variety of modes. For example, a steady output fromthe status indicator 122 can indicate that the electrical socket 104 is“live” or on, while an off state of the status indicator 122 indicatesthat the electrical socket 104 has been switched off such that nocurrent flows to the electrical socket 104. For example, when the switch130 is opened to sever the live connection to the electrical socket 104,the microcontroller 114 can change the status indicator's state from onto off. Alternatively, a steady “on” state can indicate an “all OK”status, meaning that all the systems within the electrical receptacleassembly are operating normally, including the wireless transceiver 118.Various flashing modes can indicate additional statuses. For example,the status indicator 122 can blink once in a periodic interval toindicate a problem, such as a problem with the wireless transceiver 118or the microcontroller 114. The status indicator 122 can blink twice ina periodic interval to indicate a mode of operation that the wirelesstransceiver 118 is receiving or transmitting data. Other flashingpatterns are also contemplated to indicate a status or mode of operationof any of the electronic components in the electrical receptacleassembly 100. The status indicator 122 is visible from an exterior ofthe housing 102 of the electrical receptacle assembly 100 wheninstalled.

The reset switch 124 is preferably placed either on the side of thehousing 102 of the electrical receptacle assembly 100 (such as shown inFIG. 2A) or in the rear of the housing 102 that is opposite the sidefrom which the outlet(s) 104 are accessible. This placement prevents acasual passerby to hit the reset switch 124. When the microcontroller114 is initially powered on, it enters a default or pre-configuredstate, which can be reset to this default state by pressing the resetswitch 124. Typically, the operator would have to remove the faceplate140 to access the reset switch 124. Once the microcontroller 114 is inthe default state, it can be further configured remotely via thewireless transceiver 118. Otherwise, the microcontroller 114 and thewireless transceiver 118 will operate according to the defaultconfiguration and can display status information via the statusindicator 122 as discussed above.

The temperature sensor 126 can be placed adjacent to a faceplate 140 forrecording the ambient temperature in the room in which the electricalreceptacle assembly 100 is installed, or can be installed inside theenclosure of the electrical junction box for measuring the temperatureinside the junction box. The temperature sensor 126 outputs a signalthat is indicative of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor126, and a representation of this output signal is received by themicrocontroller 114, which can communicate data indicative of thetemperature via the wireless transceiver to an external wireless device.The microcontroller 114 can also monitor the temperature inside thejunction box via the temperature sensor 126, and when the temperatureexceeds a predetermined threshold representing a safe upper limit,resulting in an over-temperature condition, the microcontroller 114 isprogrammed to transmit, via the wireless transceiver 118, an indication(e.g., a flag or temperature value) that the over-temperature conditionexists to an external wireless device capable of receiving such anindication.

The current/voltage sensor 128 senses an electrical characteristic(e.g., current or voltage) of the line current from the line powerconnection 106. The current/voltage sensor 128 can include a resistorfor producing a voltage representative of the voltage on the line powerconnection 106 or a conventional current transformer for producing acurrent representative of the current on the line power connection 106.The output of the current/voltage sensor 128 is indicative of theelectrical characteristic (e.g., current, voltage, or power, which isderived from voltage and current) sensed by the sensor 128, and arepresentation (e.g., digital) of this output is received by themicrocontroller 114. The microcontroller 114 in turn is programmed tocommunicate data indicative of the electrical characteristic via thewireless transceiver 118 to an external wireless device capable ofreceiving such data. The microcontroller 114 can monitor the electricalcharacteristic measured by the current/voltage sensor 128, andcommunicate, via the wireless transceiver 118, an alarm or other indiciawhen an anomaly is detected by the microcontroller 114. The anomaly canindicate an overload condition, an overvoltage, or other faultcondition, or a loss of power from the line power connection, forexample.

The switch 130 is controlled by the microcontroller 114 and can beautomatically opened or closed by the microcontroller 114 (via a relay,motor, or other conventional electrical or electro-mechanical device) inresponse to an event, such as one of the anomalies mentioned above. Themicrocontroller 114 can receive an instruction via the wirelesstransceiver 118 from an external wireless device to switch power to theoutlet 104 on or off, and responds accordingly by causing the switch 130to connect (cause the switch 130 to be placed in an “on” state) ordisconnect (cause the switch 130 to be placed in an “off” state) linepower to the outlet 104 a,b.

The PLC module 132 is capable of communicating radio signals over thepower lines via a power line carrier (PLC) communication protocol. Anyof the data that can be communicated via the wireless transceiver 118can also be communicated via the PLC module 132. In this respect, theelectrical receptacle assembly 100 operates as a bridge PLC to externalwireless devices. In addition, the data transmitted to the PLC module132 can be sent back out over the air via the wireless transceiver 118.Likewise, data received via the wireless transceiver 118 can be sentback out over the power lines via the PLC module 132. The PLC module 132includes conventional components for carrying out PLC communications.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the electrical receptacle assembly 100having dipole antennas 120 integrated into the housing 102. In theillustration, three dipole antennas 120 a,b,c are shown. Twin dipoleantennas 120 a,b are positioned on opposite sides of the two electricalsockets 104 a,b and a third dipole antenna 120 c is positioned betweenthe two electrical sockets 104 a,b as shown. The twin dipole antennas120 a,b provide improved radio propagation. The housing 102 can includea slight protrusion to accommodate the antennas 120 such that theantennas are not exposed to the exterior of the housing 102.Alternately, the antennas 120 a-c can be positioned behind the frontface of the housing 102 in the locations shown such that the electricalreceptacle assembly 100 visually resembles existing electricalreceptacle assemblies. Less desirably, the antennas 120 a-c can bedisposed on the exterior surface of the front face of the housing 102.The antennas 120 a-c are conventionally electrically coupled to thewireless transceiver 118 by separate wires (not shown). In anotherimplementation, the antenna 120 c can be removed, leaving only the pairof antennas 120 a,b on either side of the sockets 104 a,b. Alternately,in still other implementations, only one of the antennas 120 a or 120 bis positioned relative to the front face of the housing 102. The statusindicator 122 is also visible from the front face of the housing 102 asshown.

FIG. 2B illustrates an electrical receptacle assembly 100 together witha faceplate 140 into which the one or more dipole antennas 120 areintegrated. The faceplate 140 includes a conventional opening forreceiving the electrical receptacle assembly 100 therein. The twindipole antennas 120 a,b are positioned on opposite sides of the openingof the faceplate 140. Again, as described in connection with FIG. 2A,the twin dipole antennas 120 a,b can be received in molded protrusionsformed in the faceplate 140 or can be positioned behind the frontsurface of the faceplate 140 so that the front surface of the faceplate140 visually resembles a conventional faceplate. Connecting wires 142a,b electrically couple the antennas 120 a,b to the wireless transceiver118 in the electrical receptacle assembly 100.

FIG. 2C illustrates the faceplate 140 with a loop antenna 120 d insteadof the twin dipole antennas as shown in FIG. 2B. The loop antenna 120 dis in the shape of a loop that encircles the opening of the faceplate140. A connecting wire 144 electrically couples the loop antenna 120 dto the wireless transceiver 118.

Turning now to FIGS. 3A-3D, there is shown various views of a customizedjunction box 150, 160 with a built-in antenna reflector for reflectingor propagating electromagnetic signals toward the one or more antennas120 in or around the electrical receptacle assembly 100. Such reflectorsimprove wireless direction or propagation characteristics of theelectromagnetic signals produced by or received at the antennas. Thejunction box 150, 160, together with the faceplate 140 and theelectrical receptacle assembly 100 comprise an electrical receptaclesystem. In a first implementation, the junction box 150 has a frontopening 158 that receives the electrical receptacle assembly 100, twoopposing side walls 156 a,b, and a back portion that forms a shapedantenna reflector 152, 154. The shaped antenna reflector 152, 154 isbent at an obtuse angle, θ, which depends upon the size of the junctionbox 150 and the distance, x, away from the antennas 120 in theelectrical receptacle assembly 100 or in the faceplate 140. In FIG. 3B,a side view of the junction box 150 shown in FIG. 3A shows that thefirst angled portion 152 of the antenna reflector is substantiallyparallel to the housing 102 of the electrical receptacle assembly 100.However, as the dashed lines indicate, the antenna reflector 152, 154can be tilted at an angle relative to the housing 102 such that a topportion 153 of the antenna reflector 152, 154 is tilted relative to abottom portion 155 of the antenna reflector 152, 154 as shown in FIG.3B.

FIG. 3C also shows a shaped antenna reflector 164, except that this onehas a curved or generally hemispherical shape. Like the antennareflector shown in FIG. 3A, the antenna reflector 164 can be generallyparallel to a rear surface of the housing 102 along a height dimensionof the junction box 160. Alternately, as indicated by the dashed linesin FIG. 3D, the antenna reflector 164 can be tilted at an angle relativeto the housing 102 such that a top portion 163 of the antenna reflector164 is tilted away from or toward a bottom portion 165 of the antennareflector 164 as shown in FIG. 3D. The shaped antenna reflectors 152,154, 164 can be made of metal or foil with a non-conductive coating.

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate different antenna reflector inserts that can beinserted into an electrical junction box, such as an existing junctionbox, to provide an antenna reflector function for the antennas 120 inthe electrical receptacle assembly 100 or in the faceplate 140,depending upon the implementation. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of ajunction box 170 into which an antenna reflector insert 172, 174 hasbeen inserted. The antenna reflector insert 172, 174 includes twoportions that are bent relative to one another at an angle, θ, asdiscussed above in connection with FIG. 3A. A notch or opening 178 isformed in a base section of the antenna reflector insert 172, 174 asshown to receive therethrough electrical wiring carrying the line,neutral, and other wiring connections to the electrical receptacleassembly 100.

FIGS. 4B and 4C are similar to FIGS. 3A and 3B in that the antennareflector insert 172, 174 is bent at an angle like the antenna reflector152, 154 of FIG. 3A. Performed registration members (not shown) withinthe junction box 180 can help guide the operator to the properinstallation location of the antenna reflector insert 172, 174. Theoperator can slide the antenna reflector insert 172, 174 into theinterior of the junction box 170 until it snaps or clicks into place viathe registration members. In this way, the operator can be assured thatthe proper or desired angle, θ, is maintained, as well as the proper ordesired distance, x, between the antenna reflector insert 172, 174 andthe antennas 120. And, like the antenna reflector 152, 154 shown in FIG.3B, the antenna reflector insert 172, 174 can be tilted at an anglerelative to the housing 102 such that a top portion 173 of the antennareflector insert 172, 174 is tilted away from or toward (as shown inFIG. 4C) a bottom portion 175 of the antenna reflector insert 172, 174.

FIGS. 4D and 4E are similar to FIGS. 3C-3D in that a curved antennareflector insert 186 is introduced, this time as a separate insert intothe junction box 180. Like the implementation described in connectionwith FIGS. 4B and 4C, preformed registration members (not shown) withinthe junction box 180 can help guide the operator to the properinstallation location of the antenna reflector insert 186. Like theantenna reflector 164 shown in FIG. 3C, the antenna reflector insert 186can be tilted at an angle relative to rear surface of the housing 102such that a top portion 193 of the antenna reflector insert 186 istilted away from or toward (as shown in FIG. 4E) a bottom portion 195 ofthe antenna reflector insert 186.

The dimensions of the electrical receptacle assemblies, faceplates, andjunction boxes herein are substantially the same as existing ones.Existing junction boxes can be retrofitted with an antenna reflectorinsert, and an existing electrical receptacle assembly can be quicklyreplaced with the electrical receptacle assembly 100, and, if necessary,an existing faceplate can be quickly replaced with the faceplate 140.Existing junction boxes can be easily swapped out and replaced with thejunction boxes 150, 160 with built-in antenna reflectors. The exteriorvisual appearance of the faceplate 140 and the electrical receptacleassembly 100 can be no different than traditional ones. The electricalreceptacle assembly 100 and the faceplate 140 visually appear asnon-descript and unobtrusive as their respective predecessors, whichrenders them unlikely to be tampered with.

Exemplary applications, uses, or fields of use include home networkingor wireless communication, wireless hotspots, applications where lowpower radio coverage is required like hospitals, localized pagingsystems, asset tracking systems, asset locationing systems, assetmanagement systems, RFID systems, personnel tracking systems, andsecurity systems. The electrical receptacle assembly 100 can alsosupport a web interface for viewing data or statistics.

While particular embodiments and applications of the present inventionhave been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the precise construction and compositionsdisclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variationscan be apparent from the foregoing descriptions without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wall-mounted electrical receptacle assembly forinstallation into an electrical junction box, comprising: a housing thathouses a microcontroller coupled to a wireless transceiver that iselectrically coupled to one or more antennas and a power converter thatpowers the microcontroller and the wireless transceiver; an electricalsocket for receiving a power plug through the housing, wherein the powerconverter derives its power from the line power connection to which theelectrical socket is connected; a switch configured to connect theelectrical socket to the line power connection or disconnect theelectrical socket from the line power connection, the microcontrollerbeing programmed to receive an instruction via at least the wirelesstransceiver to cause a state of the switch to change between an on stateand an off state; and a power line communication (PLC) module coupled tothe microcontroller, the microcontroller being programmed to communicatePLC data according to a PLC protocol, the PLC module communicating thePLC data over the power line connection, the microcontroller beingfurther programmed to cause the state of the switch to change betweenthe on state and the off state in accordance with the PLC data receivedover the power line connection.
 2. The electrical receptacle assembly ofclaim 1, further comprising a sensor that senses an electricalcharacteristic of the line current from the line power connection, themicrocontroller receiving an output signal from the sensor indicative ofthe electrical characteristic and communicating data indicative of theelectrical characteristic via the wireless transceiver, themicrocontroller being programmed to cause the state of the switch tochange between the on state and the off state in response to the dataindicative of the electrical characteristic indicating a fault conditionor a loss of power from the line power connection.
 3. The electricalassembly of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled tothe microcontroller, the microcontroller being programmed to receive asignal from the temperature sensor indicative of a temperature measuredby the temperature sensor and communicating, via the wirelesstransceiver, temperature data indicative of the ambient temperature. 4.The electrical assembly of claim 1, further comprising a temperaturesensor coupled to the microcontroller, the microcontroller beingprogrammed to receive a signal from the temperature sensor indicative ofa temperature measured by the temperature sensor and cause the state ofthe switch to change between the on state and the off state based onwhether the signal indicates that an over-temperature condition existsbased on a comparison of the measured temperature with a predeterminedthreshold.
 5. The electrical receptacle assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising a status indicator visible through the housing and controlledby the microcontroller, the status indicator being configured toindicate the state of the switch.
 6. The electrical receptacle assemblyof claim 1, wherein the one or more antennas are integrated into thehousing of the electrical receptacle assembly and electrically coupledto the wireless transceiver.
 7. The electrical receptacle assembly ofclaim 1, in combination with a faceplate having an opening to receivethe electrical receptacle assembly therein, wherein the one or moreantennas are integrated with the faceplate and are electrically coupledto the wireless transceiver by one or more electrical wires.
 8. Theelectrical receptacle assembly of claim 1, in combination with anelectrical junction box, the electrical junction box having a frontopening that receives the housing and a back portion opposite the frontopening, the back portion forming a shaped antenna reflector thatreflects electromagnetic signals toward the one or more antennas.
 9. Theelectrical receptacle assembly of claim 1, in combination with anelectrical junction box and an antenna reflector insert that is insertedinto the electrical junction box behind the electrical receptacleassembly for reflecting electromagnetic signals toward the one or moreantennas.
 10. A wall-mounted electrical receptacle assembly forinstallation into an electrical junction box, comprising: a housing thathouses a microcontroller, a wireless transceiver, a power converter, anda power line communication (PLC) module, the wireless transceiver beingcoupled to the microcontroller and to one or more antennas, the powerconverter powering the microcontroller and the wireless transceiver; andan electrical socket for receiving a power plug through the housing,wherein the power converter derives its power from the line powerconnection to which the electrical socket is connected, wherein the PLCmodule is coupled to the microcontroller, the microcontroller beingprogrammed to communicate PLC data according to a PLC protocol, and thePLC module communicating the PLC data over the power line connection,wherein the one or more antennas are integrated into the housing of theelectrical receptacle assembly and electrically coupled to the wirelesstransceiver.
 11. The electrical assembly of claim 10, wherein the PLCmodule is configured to communicate the PLC data to the wirelesstransceiver for communication as wireless data via the one or moreantennas.
 12. The electrical assembly of claim 10, wherein themicrocontroller is programmed to communicate wireless data received viathe wireless transceiver to the PLC module.
 13. The electrical assemblyof claim 10, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to themicrocontroller, the microcontroller being programmed to receive asignal from the temperature sensor indicative of a temperature measuredby the temperature sensor and communicating, via the wirelesstransceiver or the PLC module, temperature data indicative of themeasured temperature.
 14. The electrical receptacle assembly of claim13, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to transmit, via thewireless transceiver, an indication that an over-temperature conditionexists in response to the measured temperature exceeding a predeterminedthreshold.
 15. The electrical receptacle assembly of claim 10, furthercomprising a switch configured to connect the electrical socket to theline power connection or disconnect the electrical socket from the linepower connection, the microcontroller being programmed to receive aninstruction via the wireless transceiver or the PLC module to cause astate of the switch to change between an on state and an off state. 16.The electrical receptacle assembly of claim 10, further comprising asensor that senses an electrical characteristic of the line current fromthe line power connection, the microcontroller receiving an outputsignal from the sensor indicative of the electrical characteristic andcommunicating data indicative of the electrical characteristic via thewireless transceiver or the PLC module.
 17. The electrical receptacleassembly of claim 10, further comprising a status indicator visiblethrough the housing and controlled by the microcontroller, the statusindicator being configured to indicate a mode of operation that thewireless transceiver is communicating wireless data or that the PLCmodule is communicating PLC data.
 18. The electrical assembly of claim10, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to communicate wirelessdata via the one or more antennas according to a wireless communicationprotocol defined by the IEEE 802.11 or 802.15 standard.
 19. Theelectrical assembly of claim 10, wireless transceiver is part of arepeater, a wireless access device, or a wireless bridge.
 20. Theelectrical receptacle assembly of claim 10, in combination with afaceplate having an opening to receive the electrical receptacleassembly therein, wherein the one or more antennas are integrated withthe faceplate and are electrically coupled to the wireless transceiverby one or more electrical wires.
 21. The electrical receptacle assemblyof claim 10, in combination with an electrical junction box, theelectrical junction box having a front opening that receives the housingand a back portion opposite the front opening, the back portion forminga shaped antenna reflector that reflects electromagnetic signals towardthe one or more antennas.
 22. The electrical receptacle assembly ofclaim 10, in combination with an electrical junction box and an antennareflector insert that is inserted into the electrical junction boxbehind the electrical receptacle assembly for reflecting electromagneticsignals toward the one or more antennas.
 23. A wall-mounted electricalreceptacle assembly, in combination with a faceplate having an openingto receive the electrical receptacle assembly therein, for installationinto an electrical junction box, comprising: a housing that houses amicrocontroller coupled to a wireless transceiver that is electricallycoupled to one or more antennas and a power converter that powers themicrocontroller and the wireless transceiver, the wireless transceiverbeing configured to receive and transmit wireless data using the one ormore antennas; an electrical socket for receiving a power plug throughthe housing, wherein the power converter derives its power from the linepower connection to which the electrical socket is connected; and a webinterface for viewing the wireless data or statistics, wherein the oneor more antennas are integrated with the faceplate and are electricallycoupled to the wireless transceiver by one or more electrical wires. 24.The electrical receptacle assembly of claim 23 further comprising apower line communication (PLC) module coupled to the microcontroller,the microcontroller being programmed to communicate data according to aPLC protocol, the PLC module communicating the data over the power lineconnection.
 25. The electrical receptacle assembly of claim 23, furthercomprising a temperature sensor coupled to the microcontroller, themicrocontroller being programmed to receive a signal from thetemperature sensor indicative of a temperature measured by thetemperature sensor and communicating, via the wireless transceiver,corresponding temperature data.
 26. The electrical receptacle assemblyof claim 25, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to transmit, viathe wireless transceiver, an indication that an over-temperaturecondition exists in response to the measured temperature exceeding apredetermined threshold.
 27. The electrical receptacle assembly of claim23, further comprising a switch configured to connect the electricalsocket to the line power connection or disconnect the electrical socketfrom the line power connection, the microcontroller being programmed toreceive an instruction via the wireless transceiver to cause a state ofthe switch to change between an on state and an off state.
 28. Theelectrical receptacle assembly of claim 23, further comprising a sensorthat senses an electrical characteristic of the line current from theline power connection, the microcontroller receiving an output signalfrom the sensor indicative of the electrical characteristic andcommunicating data indicative of the electrical characteristic via thewireless transceiver.
 29. The electrical receptacle assembly of claim23, further comprising a status indicator visible through the housingand controlled by the microcontroller, the status indicator beingconfigured to indicate a mode of operation that the wireless transceiveris communicating wireless data.
 30. The electrical assembly of claim 23,wherein the microcontroller is programmed to communicate wireless datavia the one or more antennas according to a wireless communicationprotocol defined by the IEEE 802.11 or 802.15 standard.
 31. Theelectrical receptacle assembly of claim 23, wherein the one or moreantennas are integrated into the housing of the electrical receptacleassembly and electrically coupled to the wireless transceiver.
 32. Theelectrical receptacle assembly of claim 23, in combination with anelectrical junction box, the electrical junction box having a frontopening that receives the housing and a back portion opposite the frontopening, the back portion forming a shaped antenna reflector thatreflects electromagnetic signals toward the one or more antennas. 33.The electrical receptacle assembly of claim 23, in combination with anelectrical junction box and an antenna reflector insert that is insertedinto the electrical junction box behind the electrical receptacleassembly for reflecting electromagnetic signals toward the one or moreantennas.
 34. A wall-mounted electrical receptacle assembly forinstallation into an electrical junction box, comprising: a housing thathouses a microcontroller, a wireless transceiver, a power converter, anda power line communication (PLC) module, the wireless transceiver beingcoupled to the microcontroller and to one or more antennas, the powerconverter powering the microcontroller and the wireless transceiver; atemperature sensor coupled to the microcontroller; and an electricalsocket for receiving a power plug through the housing, wherein the powerconverter derives its power from the line power connection to which theelectrical socket is connected, wherein the PLC module is coupled to themicrocontroller, the microcontroller being programmed to communicate PLCdata according to a PLC protocol, and the PLC module communicating thePLC data over the power line connection, the microcontroller beingprogrammed to receive a signal from the temperature sensor indicative ofa temperature measured by the temperature sensor and communicating, viathe wireless transceiver or the PLC module, temperature data indicativeof the measured temperature.